Within the Shadows
by Seena58
Summary: Three beings unexpectedly become friends, but what are the consequences of these actions? What does the future have in store for them? Especially since there is a war between Heaven and Hell... with the Surface World caught in between. [AU]
1. Prologue

Disclaimers: Pita-ten will never belong to me, no matter how hard I try, and besides, why ruin a great story-line? Oh wait, I've done just that. New characters belong to me unless otherwise said and… yeah.

Notes: AU fic. What more can be said? Hope you enjoy.

---Within the Shadows---

---Prologue---

Many, many centuries ago, there was a land where everything was at peace and all living things co-existed happily. Or, well, as happily as one could, seeing as there always were the odd problems here and there, but they were small troubles; nothing that couldn't be taken care of in the end.

The three main races in this land were the mortals, the angels and the demons. All other races – like the elves, dwarves and gnomes – existed, but the majority consisted of the three. Each separate race division had their own powers and special qualities, but they also got along quite well with one another and lived at a peaceful level which would, in the future, be envied by everyone else.

Each race had a representative of sorts: the one being who would join up in important meetings and hear things out. They argued, fought, contradicted each other, but they would always reach a pretty fair conclusion in the end and it would be back to square one.

Peace.

But, like all good things in the world, there just HAD to be one being who wanted to create chaos and hate over all. To make them fight each other and shed blood, pain and misery, and there was nothing they could do about it. They didn't even know what was going on until it happened, and by then, it was too late.

The world was then split into different 'planes' or 'dimensions', sealing up against one another so that no one could pass through them, yet the connection remained. A thin line which reminded them that once they were together and happy; but that was all over. It was in the past.

Never again would they live in harmony: to be able to meet someone of an entirely different being and to greet them in a friendly manner. No, it was too late and they could never say that they were in the wrong. Why would they? It was not them who caused the trouble in the first place.

They still had no clue as to who had been behind the chaos in the first place, and maybe that was the worst of it all.

Mortals soon came to forget that angels and demons existed.

Angles became so pure and right beyond compare, they were expected to do only "good".

Demons were soon labeled as "evil" and were distanced by all.

No one, by then, could remember that once they had been one. It would never happen again, and it would always be this way. They all despised each other to the brink of destruction, and the balance between worlds continuously tilted from one end to the other. Peace or pure destruction. Life or death.

It was all a matter of choice.

Even after so many years, the hate grows, and the fighting has never ceased once. Many of those who know the truth no longer talk. Who would believe what they had to say? Why would they listen and would they care?

More than likely not, but that is not the point now. Two of the main races continues to wage war upon one another, wanting to prove the other in the wrong and be more superior. That in itself is a worry, but that is not all.

Angels and Demons fight for no reason.

And the mortals are caught in the middle.

That was where it all began…

000

I never could understand what this all meant. I mean, why were we fighting against those who had about the equal amount of power as we had? What was the reason behind this and what was the point? Would there ever be an end to it? Was there any point in this anymore?

_There is no reason for us to act this way and, although I may be still young, even I know that this isn't right. Something is so very out of balance and I don't like it one bit. Why? Why did it happen?_

_What is going on and why? I no longer understand._

_Where is the answer to this?_

_**Can you not hear the pain?**_

Why did it end up this way? 

_**Can you remember the time before?**_

_No one knows, no one speaks, no one listens. I wonder how many more will be hurt before we come to truly understand._

_**Do you not know what is going on?**_

000

**Maybe I am being a fool, as I have been told many times prior, but my innocent curiosity leads me to these, and I no longer understand this battle that we are fighting. Or why we are fighting it in the first place.**

**We are all being hurt by this, and no one seems to care. They just want to defeat the other side and prove something to them, but I know not what. I mean, there is no reason to fight, and yet that is all they do. They argue, they yell, they cause blood to spill.**

**It will never end, will it?**

**_Did you know the truth from the start?_**

**I want to know what is going on. I want to see what they will gain from this needless bloodshed in the end.**

**_Can you say that what they are doing is right?_**

**I never could, I never would; all I want is to see peace and happiness once more. It had never happened for as long as I have lived, and Klaus will not say a thing to me.**

**_What truths are being hidden away?_**

**Why is it that we fight? What is there to see at the end? Mere corpses on both sides? And innocent mortals killed for no reason?**

**_Why will no one speak?_**

**I suppose I should not ask so much, but I cannot be helped. Maybe this will help me find the answers; and then we will know.**

**_Can you handle the truth?_**

000

Whenever I speak to my friends about it; they laugh at me. They don't believe a thing I say and I think they're scared of it. I know I am, but what can be done? And the fact that other people have reported on seeing them as well, I suppose I can't be the only one considered insane.

Fighting all around us; unexplainable accidents and deaths. No one seems to be able to find the answers around us, but I know what I see, and that's not a good thing.

Two sides: fighting in the middle – here.

But they don't seem to care a bit about who's getting hurt in the end. They don't seem to give a damn at all, or a thought of who they hit and destroy; they're too into their own personal fight that if someone gets in the way, they'll get rid of it: permanently.

Makes me wonder, then, as to why I'm not as scared as I should be.

Perhaps it has something to do with me being able to see them all the time; why, I have no idea, but my personal mentor seems to see them as well and we help each other along the way. We learn how to avoid getting caught into a fight we can't get out of in the end, and we know what to expect.

But no one else is like that, so they don't know. They keep getting hurt and there's more fear than one would expect. Something about terrorism, but I suppose that doesn't exactly lightens the mood either, does it?

How long has this fight gone for?

_I do not know._

How long will it be before it end?

_That's all a matter of guesswork._

Will there ever be a victor in the end?

_No good will ever come out of war._

Why does this happen?

_The blood of the innocent is all you need to know._

_To know that this is all wrong._

000

Three different beings with their own different points of view…

Three different ways to see the world…

Three different planes; two fighting, one the battlefield…

…And pain; lots of pain.

When will it end?

No one knows…

000

… So what does everyone out there think? Hm?


	2. Chapter One

Disclaimers: Pita-ten will never belong to me, no matter how hard I try, and besides, why ruin a great story-line? Oh wait, I've done just that. New characters belong to me unless otherwise said and… yeah.

Notes: AU fic. What more can be said? Hope you enjoy.

---Within the Shadows---

---Chapter One---

"Misha--! Where are you!" yelled an agitated Sasha. It was already the afternoon, and yet, despite it all, the blonde was unable to enjoy the beauty of nature because she had to keep an eye on her hyperactive and constantly troubling sister. The biggest problem with this, perhaps, was the fact that the younger girl seemed to love to run around a lot, and that meant that she could have been anywhere at all.

"Mishaaaaaaa--!"

"Hey, Sasha, what's with the yelling?" asked a boy with short, dark brown hair as she stomped past him.

"I can't find my sister!" she ranted, jerking her head back to talk to him, "And she knows that if I don't keep an eye on her, then I'm the one who gets in trouble! Have you seen her anywhere!"

The boy frowned lightly, looking around in an almost distracted manner, "Yeah… she passed by here ten minutes ago. I thought it was a bit strange that she wasn't accompanied with anyone."

"Argh! I can't believe it!" Sasha practically screamed in frustration as she ran off. The boy's frown deepened and he sighed, directing his gaze up at the sky, not knowing what to think.

Misha. The pink-haired, angel-in-training with so much energy that if there was any sort of riot anywhere, it was well known that she would be caught in the middle. She never intended to cause trouble for others, but it merely seemed to be within her nature. That didn't make her a bad angel of sorts; just… the sort that one should be wary of.

Her older sister and already full-fledged angel, Sasha couldn't help but grumble about her sister's negative quality as an angel and being the one to keep an eye on her, it merely made it more troublesome. Misha didn't like to be followed around, so this was just her way of being a rebel of sorts.

"Misha! When I get a hold of you, young lady--" she rambled to herself out loud, ignoring the stares she received by passer-bys; they sniggered to themselves.

000

Slight, shadowy patterns splashed across the ground as Misha looked up through the foliage of the tree. Sitting on a study branch, her wings were folded neatly behind her as she continued her sky-gazing. Long strands of dawn-tinted hair fell past her shoulders and seemed to float around her face and back without the help of a breeze.

Fifteen years old and still being supervised, she mused to herself grievously; after so many years of being tailed by the higher authorities, they still considered her unworthy of being able to walk down the streets by herself. True, she tended to be a klutz and tripped and ran into things easily, but it didn't mean that she did it intentionally. Sasha didn't seem to see her views of independence, though, and constantly insisted on going everywhere with her when possible.

Perhaps that was one of the reasons as to why she didn't have any friends her own age; or for any age for that matter. They tended to tease her for being the klutz she was, and the fact that she had to be constantly watched by her older sister was a laugh as well. She didn't hate her sister, but it was just so tedious and annoying to know that every single word and move was monitored, no matter what.

To be free…

What did that mean in the end? Misha frowned, catching a leaf that was falling slowly to the ground. Everyone was being watched by someone else, no matter what they tried to do; because unless they hid in a void of some sort, there would always be another aware of their presence, and she didn't like it one bit. True, if she had been like every other angel, they wouldn't bother about her and she wouldn't even be sitting here, talking to herself; but no, she had to be the odd one out considered to be a kind of hyperactive whack. True, she did tend to hold onto a ditzy-up-front personality, but that was what they wanted her to be, and why should she attempt to disappoint them about it?

But at the same time, it was so demeaning, so pointless… so not her. That was her biggest problem at the moment.

Her sense of identity.

Where was it? Did it even exist? Would she ever have one? For what she had now was a lie; a label that could be thrown away at will. It made her think more about herself, and that was kind of scary for her. She hated analysing why people laughed at her and didn't think of her worthy of any sort of intelligent conversation.

"Misha----!"

The pink-haired angel perked at this, inclining her head as she heard her blonde-haired, perfect sister stomp her way across a couple of roads, oblivious to the sniggering around her. Good old Sa-chan, being so kind and obedient and following their parents orders to stick onto the youngest child like a leech.

What did the blonde think, anyway, of her baby sister? That she was useless and couldn't even take care of herself properly? Misha had heard – many times prior – of her older sister complaining about having to follow her around and not even having time to hang around her friends. She felt sorry for her about that; having friends was an important part of being a person, the angel-in-training believed, because you could talk to them about anything and everything and – even if they didn't understand – it didn't matter because you were able to get it off your chest.

So she watched as Sasha continued her threading down the street of sorts, not even giving any sort of vague attention to the tree by the lake; people rarely did. And that was why Misha found it the most useful place to hide away from other people. Flicking back some stray bangs, she ran a hand over the rough bark and sighed: it was such a quiet and peaceful day, that was for sure, and it was one of those few days that being watched over was her biggest trouble. All other troubles involved her schooling.

Angels was supposed to bring happiness to the world – she was an angel – therefore she was supposed to bring happiness to the people below her. So then why, after fifteen years, was she still in-training, while those at the age of thirteen were already qualified by the PTB?

There was no questions about that; they believed for her to be highly incompetent, and that annoyed her a lot. She took this news into her stride without much complaint because she knew that no one would listen to her, but if they had given her a chance, she believed that she could have passed the first time without much difficulty. Despite popular gossip and belief, her angelic powers were very well-developed and strong and she had a very firm grip on controlling it.

But even if she did qualify, it wasn't like she would be bringing peace and happiness in the way that they believed in. no, it hadn't been like that for many years already.

For war was over their heads.

Constantly fighting and killing and shedding blood, she hated it; they said that they were to bring peace, but how was one to do it when they were murdering others? Misha had once put that up against her family, but they had refused to answer to the matter bluntly.

She really did hate it when people didn't pay any serious attention to her.

"_All angels-in-training report to the message center,"_ a sudden voice boomed across the city of Heaven, _"All angels-in-training to the message center for an important announcement."_

It was probably Sasha's way of catching her, but seeing as it wouldn't hurt to mingle with the crowd, Misha decided to go. Hopping down gracefully and wiping down the black attire she wore, the angel watched as small ripples broke the surface of water body and wondered; would she ever be happy where she was?

000

Voices grumbled in the large hall that built up the message center, as it was called. Large pillars supported it and various paintings and sculptures adorned the place, yet none paid any heed to it, having seen it their whole entire lives. At the front, upraised on a platform, an angel with blonde hair and holding an incredibly large scroll coughed importantly and the buzzing ceased instantly.

"Call for the fight against angels and demons," he proclaimed, "we are equally matched and within a standoff that will not come to terms on their own. The highest level of angels-in-training will be assigned certain tasks to see if they are ready for the angelic test so that this battle may be finally over and we can heal the wounds that have long since scarred the world."

Those who were not of the higher class instantly turned their backs and wandered off, and Misha was about to follow them, when the angel called for her specifically.

"And Misha, the PTB wants to have a word with you."

She gulped and tensed suddenly, not noticing the hostile glances she received from all the angels-in-training that remained in the room. She had no idea what they wanted from her, but it wasn't going to be a good thing, that was for sure. Could it be a warning of some sort? What had she done?

Angels weren't supposed to punish her because she was a bit out of line, were they? Or had they finally decided that she couldn't be an angel at all because of her talent of causing some form of chaos whenever they was on her own? It wasn't like she meant to it! Really!

Dreading the worst, Misha followed the assigned angel and passed through a number of corridors, before reaching another room that placed the message hall in a sort of vague replica. But a lot more lavished and decorated. Blinking, she located Sasha, who was biting her lip and scowling, up to where the top three angels of the council sat on a high pedestal. Kind of like she was in court or something.

"Misha; angel-in-training, I presume," one of them rumbled with the air of superiority that made the pink-haired teen want to run off, or laugh, or scowl, or faint; something that would be appropriate for the occasion.

"Aye," she nodded politely, keeping her head down so she could avoid staring into their faces. Or, more specifically, their eyes; after so many years of being pitied and otherwise, she had learnt to read a person's emotions just by looking into their eyes, and most of the time she didn't like what she saw. So it was best not to think too much a about it and to look at the tiles on the ground.

"We have long since wanted to talk to you about this," another claimed calmly, "yet your parents and sister forever believed that you were incompetent and no ready for it, yet we believe that you may be the only one for this task." She could almost sense Sasha's scowl at this, but didn't say anything, not knowing what they could be going on about:

"Misha, you have been assigned to a special task on the Surface World without any back-up or support."

If she had been eating or drinking anything at that time, Misha was sure that she would have choked and died. Seeing as that wasn't the case, she did the only thing that processed into her mind; she stared.

'Go… to the Surface World…?'

000

And it's finally done! Sorry for the wait! And I was going to put in Shia's and Kotarou's perspectives as well, but then it would be even longer… so they'll probably get their own chapters XD Hope it was okay and all.

Freespirt: Wah! I'm so sorry for not updating sooner! Hope this was okay for you then! XD thanks for much for the review!


	3. Chapter Two

Disclaimers: Pita-ten will never belong to me, no matter how hard I try, and besides, why ruin a great story-line? Oh wait, I've done just that. New characters belong to me unless otherwise said and… yeah.

Notes: AU fic. What more can be said? Hope you enjoy.

--- Within The Shadows ---

--- Chapter Two ---

Pushing past a large group of people who were merely loitering around and chattering amongst themselves, Klaus grumbled under his breath. He hated going through this every single day, but he just couldn't change her. Student or not, Shia just didn't seem to understand the situation at all.

"Hey Klaus, what's up?" asked one of the people that the blonde had just pushed away form him. "And where's Shia anyway?"

"I could ask you that very same question," snapped the demon before turning around to face the speaker and his friends properly, "Have any of you seen her today?"

One of them, a female with dyed streaks, pointed up at the sky, "Knowing her, she would be somewhere without much noise, right?"

Klaus nodded his thanks curtly and whipped off. There was one place that he knew where she would be then; it was an incredibly secluded place because no one wanted to enter that particular area for some reason. Well, it was just such a boring place and very… peaceful.

That single word was enough to describe Shia inside and out. Peaceful.

In his entire lifetime, the blonde had never seen the blonde actually cause any sort of pain to another intentionally. It was odd, he had to admit, but she just didn't seem to think that violence was necessary. And that was part of the reason why she had become one of his private students.

Then again, there was the factor of having others teasing her that played a key role in the situation. But she wasn't bad in general. But as a demon… there was certain things that could be questioned as to whether she really was a demon or not. Ah well, who was he going to ask in the end?

Shia's parents had long since passed away and she had no other siblings. Not to mention that her records were practically lost in the void of time, so what could be done about it? They had accepted her as one of them and now she was being discriminated for not being a 'true' demon.

She could be a mortal… but then that wouldn't explain why she still looked so young for someone who had been living for decades.

Klaus hissed and clutched at his head; he really had to stop thinking so much… really…

But anyway, back to what was happening now… where the hell was she!

Lessons had long since finished, but as before, Shia was assigned for lessons at a different time and it was supposed to be now; at least that was what he was sure of. Although he hated to admit it, there was something… _likeable _about her; he couldn't place exactly what though.

Entering a still garden, he looked around. It was splattered with various colours; reds, blues, greens, yellows, purples… so many colours that it was slightly blinding for him. Or the fact that he rarely visited this place and his eyes were just having a hard time with adjusting to it.

Like every other demon like him – or something – this was the sort of place they were avoiding like the black plague, but at the same time it was a massive place of beauty… and somehow tinted with despair. Demons thrived on despair, so that wasn't saying all that much.

"Shia?" he called, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife. A painfully sharp knife at that, but… why did he care?

"… Klaus-san?" came the eventual, timid response. He knew for a fact that Shia was scared of him; merely soft-spoken. And she wasn't the sort to back down either, which, if she were to fight, made her a formidable ally of sorts. But she didn't fight, so this view was cancelled out almost instantly.

From the other side of the lively garden – in which the blonde shuddered to think it so – the brunette, wearing white, stood up. Brushing loam off of her dress, she swept her dark bangs out of the way and tread carefully over to her mentor and bowed just slightly.

"Is there some reason as to why you decided to venture this far?" she asked, not insultingly, but still… well, she could be mocking him, but he wouldn't know, would he?

"Lessons," he snapped promptly, but regretted it immediately; not that he showed it, but it was there… hovering somewhere in his mind of sorts. Or something that was similar to that and… yeah. "You seem to be missing them all of a sudden… and the others were giving me the 'I told you so' lecture."

Smiling at the blonde, Shia shook her head just slightly and held up a blood-red rose that she must have picked up during her sit there, "You know that you don't have to accept me as your student. Although banishment seems to be the council's plans…" Her smile faded at this and she shook her head once more.

"Don't say that," Klaus muttered, turning away, "And you have the obvious potential of a real demon; everything else doesn't matter at all. So don't let it get over your head so much."

"But… aa…"

"What?"

"It's nothing. Just a passing thought," the brunette bowed at this, "I'm very sorry for missing my lesson."

Blinking at this, the blonde shrugged it off, "As long as you don't turn up into the Surface World while we can't keep an eye on you."

Smile back in place, Shia followed her mentor out of the garden. Although he merely said that as a passing matter – not something to get his head over – he didn't seem to know how close he was from the truth. Because, although she had heard the consequences of such actions, she couldn't help but go to the world of Mortals once in a while.

There was something about them that she couldn't explain. Something that thrived within her when she was with them… and it was odd. It was like she was reborn in a sense, and that it was all so… confusing. Mixed emotions whirled every time she set foot out, but that wasn't in a bad sense. It made her feel alive and full of life.

But maybe it was because they could have both good and bad mortals. Unlike Heaven – which wanted the pure hearted – and Hell – and pessimists – the Surface world was a balance of both; dangerous, yet beautiful, at the same time. Something that nowhere else would be like… and it was just so alluring. Things that she would never have thought been possible were made possible.

She was led into a room that was small, black, and incredibly bleak, aside from the white board and the single desk and two chairs. Not like they ever used it anyway. She hid a grimace before taking a seat as her mentor stalked over to the front of the room, right next to the white board.

"I'm assuming that you remember the use to channeling power so that it can be used against another?" he demanded, back to all business, and she nodded. "And the fact that even so, this power can also be used against you."

She nodded again.

It was always the same; learn something that was already known, and do it all again. There didn't seem to be much point in the first place, as she knew it, but seeing as there wasn't much else that could be learnt, she might as well deal with it. But at the same time, she wanted to ask about the Surface World; see his perspective on it. Yet, as far as she knew, he hated them and the filthy 'creatures' that dwelled within it. It seemed rather unfair to classify them as such, but what was she supposed to say about it anyway?

Zoning out was the easy thing to do for her, and taking a guess when questioned was the best way out; or so she had learnt where these lessons were concerned. On the whole, not much ever bothered her, not even the little fact that she was considered an outcast as such, but nothing more could be said or done as the door behind them slammed open.

Klaus scowled, "What?" he growled dangerously.

"Sir! Important notice from the top level, sir!" snapped the reply of the messenger demon-person, saluting.

"Well, then, spit it out; I don't have all day."

Shia stifled an amused giggle at this; despite all his acting of being cold to others, she knew that he wasn't as bad as others thought him as, and how he thought himself to be. Especially when she was with him, he was just so… different at times. Like he was a mortal as well.

As the blonde was giving her an odd look, the brunette made a gentle hacking sound in indication that was coughing.

"Sir, it's about the battle between the two lands, they need more fighters on the battle field!"

The battle field referring to the Surface World.

"What do you expect me to do? Go find whoever he is. Stephen."

"I've already spoken to him. The other note I was sent to tell you is that you will be accompanying the demon Shia to the Surface World for further training courses."

"What!"

"It's obvious the girl isn't getting the full training that her own power requires and I can vouch for the fact that what she possesses is a lot stronger than can be handled here. It's believed that once she qualifies, the battle between Angels and Demons may take a turn to our favour."

Raising an eyebrow at this, Shia inclined her head, watching Klaus' reaction with a mix of amusement and worry. He looked like someone had hit something incredibly hard over his head and was too shocked to actually say something.

"This is a direct order and you will both be sent off in twenty-four hours, so be prepared before then." The messenger saluted once more. "Good luck, _sir._" He sauntered off and the door creaked shut behind him.

Once he was out of the room, Klaus slowly cleared his throat and met his student's eye. "It seems that we have no choice in the matter." He headed towards the door himself.

"… Klaus-san…"

"Hm?"

"Why do you hate… mortals so much?"

"… I have my reasons. And mortals have always been too ignorant for their own good. Trust me, Shia, this will not be pleasant."

"… But…"

The door closed behind him and she was on her own. Blinking, Shia stared at her hands that were currently sitting on her lap, and stray bangs swept across her face. The vague, burning emotion of sadness welled inside of her, yet she pushed it away, finishing her sentence as she left the empty room.

"They're not all bad. I already know that…"

Most other demons were gossiping among themselves, throwing the brunette odd glances; it seemed that they already knew the odd news. She didn't care all that much, but it was just a bit odd.

Her powers? What she possessed? What in the world were they talking about?

She wasn't much different, aside from the empathy and consideration, but how did that indicate that she had other powers? It baffled her to no end, and was completely lost in that sense.

Hitching her dress a bit, she entered the small, cluttered room that was her own. There wasn't much there at all, but what did it matter? Taking a seat, she stared at the ceiling and contemplated.

000

Short, rather confusing… whatever. Yeah, maybe I should mention who it is before, but it's not like it's going to be like this for long. They'll meet and stuff. Anyway, sorry for the slow update and Kotarou's next. Hm… not much else to say. Oh, besides something about Shia's hair being black or something… I dunno. From what I've seen, the anime her hair is brown… and so is the manga. So… that's what I'm leaning on.

Celeste: Thank you so much XD (hug)

KuroNoTenshi7: Thanks:D


	4. Chapter Three

Disclaimers: Pita-ten will never belong to me, no matter how hard I try, and besides, why ruin a great story-line? Oh wait, I've done just that. New characters belong to me unless otherwise said and… yeah.

Notes: AU fic. What more can be said? Hope you enjoy.

--- Within The Shadows ---

--- Chapter Three ---

A young boy – around the age of 12 at the least – held onto his even younger cousin's hand as they stood there, staring blankly at the truth before them. Someone was talking in the background, but he wasn't listening; nothing was registering in his mind, and in a way, it was a good thing. He didn't want have to face the complete reality at the moment, but then again…

He glanced over at his cousin, who was only five and obviously didn't understand what was going on. She was staring, pale violet eyes wide and confused, and she said nothing, the atmosphere being too heavy on their minds to make talking possible.

In a way, he wanted someone else to speak; someone else to come up and tell him that he was just hallucinating or blowing everything out of proportion and that he was dreaming. That this was all just one horrible nightmare that he would wake up from soon. Very soon. But as it was, it wasn't about to happen, and he knew it.

Yet he clung onto this notion, squeezing his cousin's hand lightly, trying hard not to burst into tears as the pain and agony encased and engulfed him from all sides. There was no escape, he had nowhere to run. There was nowhere for him to hide anymore, to be protected; he was out in the open now.

And there was her… he glanced down. Shino… she didn't know what was going on – how could she? – and here she was, watching it all happen. It would confuse her, traumatize her too, and there was nothing that could be done about it. Why? Why had they dragged her along when they knew who it was that was now down there? Who would forever be trapped in their wooden coffins until the land wasted away?

His mother… and her parents…

All dead now. Gone from the living world.

"They were all great people," the priest was droning, "with lives that were regretfully cut short…"

He swallowed again, staring at nothing. It had been a tragedy, the priest continued to say, to have so many young people killed on the same day. To leave behind their own children and to fade once more… true but not true, and the stabbing pain was yet to go.

It was never going to go, he knew that from the start.

His thoughts – most of them being jumbled and blurred memories – were jolted out as someone tapped his shoulder. He turned, expecting to see his father, but instead he was met with another pair of gentle and understanding violet eyes. His other cousin – and Shino's older brother – nodded gently at him, taking Shino's other hand as they led her out of the stuffy room.

No one tried to stop them, why would they? They were merely children who had just lost their parents? They were being pitied.

Something about that made him want to snort in disbelief. It was tragic, definitely, and people would feel sorry, but it did not mean that they were weak. He knew that, although it hurt, he would still be watched over. True, he hadn't lost both parents and still had his father, while the other two walking beside him at that very moment…

A chilly air hung our in the cemetery, making the branches of the trees sway slowly, in an almost mourning gesture. Weeping willows… the trees that mourned? The ones that could almost feel the pain? Whoever had chosen that name for the particular tree knew what they were going on about.

Ironic, somewhat, to be thinking in such a way after actually witnessing the death of his mother and aunt and uncle. His favorite aunt and uncle, nevertheless. Sad, burning pain… forever attempting to overwhelm him once more…

"… It's crying… you know?"

His thoughts were cut off once more, and he turned to face the speaker. Dark purple hair, slightly longer than his own; at first glance they could have been considered twins. But that was not the point at the moment.

"Kotaroh…" there had once been a stage where he had found it funny, to be calling his own name… yet…

"The land… the trees… the plants… they're all crying…" whispered his cousin in reply, staring out at the fields of gravestones, "You can hear them too, can't you? Kotarou."

Kotarou nodded at this, before staring out at the fields himself. It was slowly becoming dusk, throwing the bright shades into something more… serene. Dark reds were thrown across, almost like blood being shed once more. Such a tragedy it was… but utterly beautiful to witness…

Shino tugged at both older boy's hands, "Nii-chan… where's okaa-san and otou-san? I miss them…"

The two boys passed sad smiles; of the three of them, Shino would be the one suffering the most and they knew it. All she had was them now, and she didn't understand that she had lost both parents in the stroke of a freak accident that could not be taken back. Her brother bent down, patting her head lightly and ruffling it.

"They've gone up with the angels to protect us," he explained softly, "And they'll be up there… watching us forever…" he paused, "We may not be able to see them anymore… but me and Kotarou will be with you. And uncle."

It was clear that the little five-year-old didn't get all that he was saying, but the promise of being there and protecting them seemed to be enough for her to head. She smiled at him.

Kotaroh returned the gesture faintly, but the pain in his eyes did not go unnoticed by his cousin, who shook his head just slightly at this. They needed to talk about the situation now, and what was to become of them. All of them.

It wasn't a simple live with someone else situation, as there was something far more sinister looming over them. Their deaths… it couldn't have just been a coincidence…

"There you are!" Kotarou's father walked up to them as all three turned. He was somber, grieving for his wife, but knew that his responsibilities came before his own personal needs; and that was the children under his custody. His son and nephew and niece… "Come on, it's time to go home."

Shino bounced over to take his hand, leaving both boys to follow slowly behind. They allowed the distance between them to lengthen some more before either one of them spoke.

"It was no coincidence."

"I know."

"They're onto us…" Kotarou glanced over, waiting for the other boy's reaction to this. He got none.

"I know. But we can't be hasty."

"But… I think it was because of that that my mother… and your parents…" he choked up, not knowing what else to say.

"It was unavoidable." Kotaroh sounded apologetic at this and he met his cousin's eyes, "Ever since that day… they knew their own days were numbered… there was no other way…"

Choosing to say nothing at this, they continued to walk until the longer-haired boy sighed and slid an arm around the other's shoulders, trying to comfort him, "This was our destiny… they don't want us to grieve constantly for them… otherwise, when it happens, we'll just die as well."

"I know all that… but how about Shino? She doesn't have either mother or father…"

"But she still has us."

Kotarou, despite his own wallowing in pity, raised an eyebrow at this, "I don't know about you, but that just sounded really wrong…"

He got a grin in return, "See? Everything will be fine… your humor hasn't changed the least."

"You make that sound like it's a bad thing."

The two argued for a bit longer before they clambered into the car, and watched as the place got smaller as they drove far, far away, back to home.

Wherever home was.

---

"Hey, Kotarou!"

As it was, both boys turned at the sound of their name being called and asked right back in unison, "What?"

"Whoa, it's the stereo format now," Takashi – usually known as Ten-chan by his friends – blinked and took a double take on his best friend and his cousin, "You two… look very, very related… twins?"

"Cousins," muttered Kotarou, looking away. It hadn't been long before all the arrangements had been made and they had been sent right back to school. Like always, life had to go on, and so forth, the usual stuff that they now had to hear. So was the bumpy ride of their life story.

"Oooh… okay…" Takashi seemed to be at a loss at what to say, as he was trying hard not to suddenly yell about how the two looked so related and such, "By the way, dude, I heard about your mum; I'm really sorry about that and all."

"… Thanks… I think…" something about being apologized or given the sympathetic gesture still confused the boy on as how to reply to it. "Kotaroh," he pointed meaningfully at his cousin to get the message across, "and Shino, my other cousin, were also… victims." It was better to clear it all up with his best friend before confusion reigned.

"Ah, I'm really sorry about all of that, I mean, come on," Takashi bowed slightly, "I'm Takashi Ayanokoji, by the way. Nice to meet you."

"And to you," Kotaroh replied in his soft-toned voice, bowing slightly as well. They were at a loss as to what else to say, seeing as their first meeting was due to the death of a certain number of people, but the awkwardness of it all was soon spared as a long-haired blonde with cat-ears poking out of the top of her head caught up with them.

"Kotarou-chan! Ten-chan! And hi! I'm Koboshi Uematsu!" having said all this in one breath without missing a beat, it was clear that she had large lungs… or something, "And I'm really sorry about your mother and everything. You too… Kotaroh-kun? And if you ever need to talk, you know that I'm all ears!"

The fact that she said this in a mere two breaths was positively alarming. Takashi was the first to break through the confused staring and silence as he berated the much shorter blonde.

"How the heck did you manage to find all that out anyway, Uematsu? I didn't know squat and why didn't you tell me?"

She blinked, "Ten-chan, you just weren't paying attention again, were you?"

They began to argue amongst each other and Kotarou grinned at this; it was nice to know that they hadn't changed the least, despite knowing that he had just lost his mother. The last thing that he'd wanted was to have them being all sympathetic and attempting to understand the pain he was going through; this was the sort of thing that made him glad he was friends with them. They understood that it hurt, sure, but gave him enough space to heal and do whatever else he needed. Even though they didn't show it, he knew.

Wondering how his cousin was reacting to all this, he turned and noticed that Kotaroh was smiling just slightly; it would have been hard to tell if hadn't known his cousin from experience and many years, but he knew that he was already fitting into his new life. And Shino had taken it like fish to water.

Maybe it wasn't going to be as bad as he thought it was.

Of course, the bumpy ride that was in store for those two was far from being over, as they were soon to witness.

000

(faints) I haven't updated this in a while… sorry? And yes, Kotarou and Kotaroh are cousins… although they shouldn't be… but I felt like it. (lol)

Miharu Shimizu: Eheh… glad you like it (XD) We don't get many Pita-ten stories do we…? Well, I'll try and update faster, but I have no idea how long it'll be before the next chapter comes up. But hey, now that we have the intros done, it should go more smoothly :) Of course you can put it up if you want to; do you want me to send you what files I do have? (actually, this is all I have… sweats) Thanks!


	5. Chapter Four

Disclaimers: Pita-ten will never belong to me, no matter how hard I try, and besides, why ruin a great story-line? Oh wait, I've done just that. New characters belong to me unless otherwise said and… yeah.

Notes: AU fic. What more can be said? Hope you enjoy.

--- Within The Shadows ---

--- Chapter Four ---

The teacher was rambling something at the front of the classroom, but Kotarou was paying about as much attention to it as was the chance of him falling pregnant. A rather useless and pointless comparison, to say the least, but it was true that he was paying no attention at all, and that he had a good reason for it. Wait… did that even make any sense in the end?

He glanced over to where his cousin sat. The other boy seemed to be trapped in his own world too, fiddling with his pen all the while, eyes unfocused as he stared at the blackboard blankly. The fact that the teacher had yet to notice this was slightly hilarious, but then again… whatever, he had no idea on what he was going on about now.

Besides, he had other things to think about; much more important than schoolwork (and that was saying a lot, as he actually tried very hard in school to get good grades, etc. etc.) and it couldn't wait, even if he'd wanted it too. The falling in and out of the world's chaotic measures seemed to have something to do with it, as well as the balance that seemed to be non-existent; or, at least, withering away into a pathetic nothing, which was so sad, when one thought about it.

Katarou stifled a yawn behind his hand, noticing for the first time that he had not written any notes at all since class started. This was not going to be very good for his studies for the exams, that was for sure and he didn't want to bomb those. Meh… he could always borrow them off Takashi; his friend would allow it.

Anyway, back to what he was supposed to be thinking about; the worrisome thing that he had to find soon otherwise they were all going to die or something. At least, that was the feeling he got from it. And just knowing that the cause of his mother's death was because of him was too much for him to bear.

And there was… he glanced back at his cousin, who was still zoning out, he was also in the exact same situation and they had nowhere to go anymore. They couldn't run, even if they wanted to. Whoever that was after them would end up drawing them out by using the people they cared for as bait…

He snapped his mind shut at this; it wasn't going to happen. There was no way he was going to allow them to get hurt, as long as it was in his power. And as for his power exactly…

Pushing it out of his mind for the time being, Kotarou sighed at the thought of how much work he would have to get through, especially due to the fact that he had not heard a single thing the teacher had said that they did have homework…

Not to mention his cousin wouldn't know either. Well, he'd just have to ask the blonde then…

---

"Misha, are you ready to descend?" asked Sasha, frowning at the thought of having her younger sister in the mortal realm so soon. It wasn't a good idea, and she had brought her complaints to her parents, but neither one of them listened; claiming that it would be good for Misha to do some external training for her exams.

The following argument was not the prettiest their blonde daughter had had.

"_She's not even a fully qualified angel and you're letting them do this to her?.!" she shrieked one night, "Can't you see the dangers that will follow all this! Don't you know that this could kill her?"_

_Her mother held up a hand, scowling lightly, "Sasha, you have to understand that Misha is not happy here, and she may never be. Think, girl, why is it that even now she is still in-training? Is it merely because she is incompetent and can't make mortals happy? Is that what you think?"_

_Sasha shook her head hard; "What difference does it make? The fact remains that Misha is going to descend into a world she has never set foot on and it's bound to lead her into more trouble than any one of us could stand for! As one in-training, she knows almost next to nothing about it!"_

_Her father coughed at this, shaking his head at her disapprovingly, "You heard your mother; Misha isn't happy here and nothing about that will change it. Even if she was to become qualified, her feelings would never change."_

"_What? Are you passing her down as a mortal then?"_

"_We never said that, Sasha."_

"_But that's the plan, isn't it? You just want to get rid of Misha because she can never be an angel!"_

"_Sasha! How could you say that?"_

"_How could you even think that!"_

"_The PTB specifically said that Misha was to go to the Surface world and we cannot disobey orders. And Sasha, you can't follow her, no matter what. You have more important tasks to deal with here."_

_The argument came to a close at this and Sasha locked herself in her room, muttering under her breath. Misha was going down there… and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it…_

"Yeah, I'm ready Sa-chan," the pink-haired girl chirped, forcing the blonde out of her reminiscing. Needless to say, Misha was excited, as going down to the Surface world was a pretty large privilege, despite the fact it was now a constant battlefield. If she did what she had to correctly, just maybe the tables would turn in their favor and the wars would finally end. Only then could they finally move on.

The blonde sniffed, "Well, be careful. And keep in contact otherwise mum and dad will freak or something, you know?"

A smile; completely oblivious to the dangers below, "Okay! Bye byeeeeee!"

Misha jumped, her wings spreading out before her and her sister watched as she descended down, through the clouds, in the world that was only suitable for mortals. There were so many dangers there. So many things that the angel-in-training didn't know.

The PTB were practically begging for her to fail, so that they wouldn't have to deal with her.

Sasha flicked back a stray bang, "Not on my watch, she isn't." She muttered to herself, before turning around to inform the authorities that her sister had already left.

000

Shia was, nevertheless, amused with her mentor's expression of disgust as they entered the Surface World without failure. It was a busy place, somewhere that no one would pay any heed to them, and something about it was just so… exciting. Lively, balancing and overwhelming the good and the bad. It was all just… interesting to witness, to feel.

She took a step forward, looking around her, "It's bright, isn't it?" she asked curiously as she blocked the sun from her eyes with a hand. "Mortals seem to be quite… ready to accept their way of life."

"They're merely ignorant, Shia, and don't even think about interacting with them unless it's necessary," Klaus muttered, standing behind her. He seemed reluctant about stepping out into the open; although maybe it had something to do with his pride.

Inclining her head curiously at this, the demon shrugged it off and continued to look around her, fascinated. The few visits she had already made here without anyone's notice had been brief, so now was as good as any other time to finally get a closer look at what it was that made this place feel so alive. Maybe it had something to do with not being completely pure, nor tainted, and that mortals had a chance of either side in the end. Hm…

Yet, that was not the only thing on their minds. The two demons could hear the destruction of the war that had been going on needlessly, and the pointlessness of it all. At least, that was what Shia was thinking; Klaus, on the other hand, probably couldn't care less about the destruction before all of them.

"Come on, then, we better move out," he muttered, although it was only just loud enough for her to hear, as the loud noise of cars, people and the war seemed to overcome all other barriers. He unconsciously yanked at the sleeve he was wearing, scowling slightly.

As it was, they had been forced to wear something akin to 'modern-day' mortal fashion (or whatever it was) and the blonde haired demon wasn't exactly happy with it at all. Shia, of course, couldn't have cared less.

"What am I supposed to be learning about here, anyway?" she asked, as they passed a couple of people who didn't spare them more than a glance before moving on.

She was surprised when her mentor answered her; "Believe me; I'm wondering that as well."

000

It was lunch when Kotaroh suddenly jerked his head up at the sky, looking bewildered. Needless to say, Koboshi and Takashi were at a loss.

"Uhm… are you alright?" the blonde girl asked, casting a worried glance at her friends.

"Wha? Oh, yes, of course." Came the vague response, "Actually, I need to go to the restroom, if you'll excuse me."

He left quickly, not turning back, and the two blondes just blinked and stared at his retreating figure. It was Takashi who eventually broke the silence between them.

"First Kotarou leaves, and now his cousin? What do you think's going on now?"

"I don't know…"

It wasn't hard to find Kotarou, as the other purple-haired boy was standing around, also staring at the sky curiously. His cousin walked over to him; "What do you think happened this time?"

A shrug, "More descents, obviously. I guess that means that it isn't going as well as they expected beforehand."

"…" Kotaroh sighed.

"? What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I'm just… hoping that maybe it'll all just end. Like they'll work out that there's no gain in all this and, well… yeah." The two boys turned in the general direction where the battle reigned; in which no normal mortal could see or identify. But they weren't normal.

Neither one of them were.

And that was why they were in so much danger.

"No chance in that happening," snorted Kotarou bitterly, "Oh well, always forward and never back, right?"

"I suppose…"

000

Bleh, it took me forever to finish this, didn't it? Sorry. Brain isn't doing all that well at the moment and for some reason, this sort of fanfiction is hard to write. (bonks head) Anyhow…

Miharu Shimizu: Text format… uh… (looks around) I use Word and stuff, so yeah? And it'd be a lot of help if you could send the email about the basics so yeah XD Yeah, Kotaroh needs more air time…

j6girl: (attempts to update but faints in the process) I'm so lazy…

Dreamless Prophet: Aw… thanks XD Well, there's Shino (the present-day one) who's actually Kotaroh's sister and Kotarou's cousin still… but, uhm… (gets confused) I'm going to have to work that out now (didn't see that one coming). And yeah, they all have their own role that will either destroy the world or save it (great, now they're the 'chosen ones'… (rolls eyes)) Thanks for the review!


	6. Chapter Five

Disclaimers: Pita-ten will never belong to me, no matter how hard I try, and besides, why ruin a great story-line? Oh wait, I've done just that. New characters belong to me unless otherwise said and… yeah.

Notes: AU fic. What more can be said? Hope you enjoy.

--- Within The Shadows ---

--- Chapter Five ---

Misha's descent into the Surface World didn't go exactly as planned, and she groaned as she sat up. Rubbing her chin where it had connected with the concrete pavement, the pink-haired angel-in-training glanced up at the sky. It was so hard to see Heaven from down there; maybe that was why mortals only believed them to be children's tales.

Sometime during the process of moving from one realm to another, Misha had lost her hold on it and had stumbled, making it the rest of the way down tumbling down rather uncomfortably. It was by chance alone that she did not break her neck on the rest of the way down, and it was pure luck that she had ended up falling in a deserted area.

Forcing herself to stand up, she couldn't help but notice that her legs didn't exactly feel like it was going to be much help with supporting her. She ran a hand threw her hair, thinking for a moment on what her next move was. All she had been told by the PTB was that she was to claim residence in a particular district, because this mission of her's was obviously going to take more than one day. Anything else after that would be passed to her from above when they checked on her.

But she couldn't help but still wonder completely on _what_ her mission was. As far as she'd pieced together, it would be the most important thing that would tip the scales and would either lead Heaven to their victory, or their doom. Why they had left it in her hands, she just didn't know anymore.

Who was she to question their motives, though? Maybe, apparently, she had something that others didn't… or this was just their way of getting rid of her and out of their head. Either way…

Misha glanced down at her few belongings, as the rest was going to be sent over to her new home. There wasn't much in there, truth be told; a photo of her and the family, a couple of random things she had collected while wandering around and couldn't help but think of them as precious, and…

She blinked. There was something else in here that she had not placed in herself. Actually, a couple of things that she was positive that did not belong to her. Without hesitation, she pulled them out of the depths of her backpack.

The first was a paper-wrapped folder… or at least something rectangle-shaped, and the words 'confidential' was scrawled neatly at the top. There was a stamped signature at the bottom of it and she noted that it was from the PTB, either certificates to make her entrance to earth as a mortal easier, or, hopefully, a briefing of her mission.

As she tucked it away, her eyes trailed towards the other items that weren't hers. A compact disk, a note, and a rod that reminded her strongly of her sister's, except this had a bunny attached to it. Curiously, Misha picked up the note and opened, instantly recognizing Sasha's handwriting.

_Hey babe, hopefully you made it to the Surface World alright and all. I know that you're supposed to do this on your own, but I think it's best that you have some form of back-up, even if it has to be your older sister who can't keep an eye on you and you keep running away from._

Misha winced; she didn't _mean_ to run away from Sasha, but there weren't exactly happy-happy-we're-great-sisters-look-at-us either. But at the same time she had to smile; she knew the blonde always tried to look out for her, even if she wouldn't admit it.

_And I know that you might not want my help, but it might be needed sometime in the future… with your mission. The compact is used as a communication device but can only work at night on either the full moon or the new moon, and the rod is something you seriously shouldn't have until you're qualified, but you never know when you'll need it._

She raised an eyebrow; Sasha had gone through the trouble of doing this for her? Or was it merely the blonde's way of rebelling against the PTB and their decision? As for the compact… she picked it up, inclining her head in the process. It didn't look… very special… oh well, whatever.

_Just take care of yourself, Misha. You don't have as much power as you might have had back in Heaven, and be wary of demons. They're everywhere._

_Sasha._

"… Sis…" Misha sighed, the first weak waves of homesickness making themselves present. It wasn't hard to fight them down, but sooner or later, it would come to a concluding build-up and smash down the walls she had just built. But it wouldn't be today, she knew, and she had to get up already.

Her legs felt steadier, so that was a good thing, but as she dumped everything back into her bag, the last thing she expected was a child, who looked no more than seven, dashed by her, laughing and screaming, and grabbed her bag right under her nose.

"H… hey! Wait!" she called, standing up and swaying slightly. Biting down the wave of unknown nausea that seemed to have come with the descent between two worlds, Misha stumbled after the running child, who seemed to think of it as a game.

Part of her wanted to say that it was a demon, luring her into a trap, but her senses were still scrambled and it was nearly impossible to make sense between demons, angels and mortals. And she was certain that this was merely a hyperactive child wanting to play… or being a nuisance. Both worked in her situation in the end.

"Come back here! Please!" the reality of the situation was beginning to settle in on her mind; if she lost her few possessions, she may never know what her mission was and if it was because of demons… they would… it would just be disastrous. And she couldn't fail them after arriving for less than ten minutes at this place.

As they entered a crowded street, it was nearly impossible for her to keep an eye on the child, and her senses were definitely lagging. Had something happened? Had she broken something? Or did she need to rest and adjust to all these feelings? What was it that was affecting herself so badly?

Misha barely noticed that, as she entered a more quiet part of the town, that the very person she had been chasing had been stopped by a couple as she collapsed and everything went black.

000

It was only because of Shia that Klaus didn't send that snotty nosed brat into oblivion. That and because he was still in a sense of shock that was only now being shaken off. The kind-hearted demon was now gently admonishing the boy, who looked guilty and didn't seem to be able to string two words together.

The blonde had been peacefully thinking about how rotten his job was and that it sucked to be him at the moment when a pink-haired girl had stumbled and fallen by the street corner. The fact that mortals paid no attention to this disgusted him as he left his student to pick the girl up.

As soon as he had reached down to touch her arm, his sixth sense snapped into action and he recoiled for a moment, paused, thought for a moment, and then shrugged it off and picked her up before taking her to where Shia was, holding the bag that the child had been clinging onto.

"Children here don't seem to have much discipline," she noted, and then noticed what Klaus was carrying, "Oh dear… what happened to her? Poor girl…"

"She," the blonde muttered under his breath, "is an angel. The enemy, needless to say."

"… Oh. But…"

Klaus shook his head as her usually serene features flickered to one of alarm, "I'm not going to kill her," demon or not, he wasn't the sort who killed those when they couldn't even fight back; and Shia, well, she never hurt a living thing intentionally, "as far as I can tell, she isn't full-fledged either."

So she wasn't a danger to them, especially as the blonde was who he was and all. Shia took this all in, thinking about it.

"Should we take her someplace until she recovers? Or will she be able to tell who we are?"

Damn, he hadn't thought about how long it may take for her to recover. Demons took energy for others and never gave any, so that was out of the question. The blonde gnawed his lip, scowling as he thought about it.

"If we leave her here, one of the others might come and destroy her," he finally said, "we might as well drag her with us until she recovers."

"Klaus-san, that's so kind of you."

"…"

That was part of why he had compensated from what he really wanted. He already knew, they both did, that Shia would never leave anyone helpless, even if death was inevitable, and if he refused, well… she always seemed to have a way to persuade him otherwise.

Klaus let out an annoyed sigh as they continued on their way; to where they would have to live for the next few weeks during Shia's studying. An apartment that practically overlooked the entire area.

000

"…"

_What… happened?_

"Mmm…"

Wherever she was, it was warm. Comfortable. Almost homely like… and that was just plain odd, as she wasn't in Heaven anymore, and even then it hadn't exactly felt like home.

"Ah! She's awake!"

_Who…?_

Misha forced herself to open her eyes, and panicked for a moment when all she could see was a big blur of… blurriness. Not a good thing, but her eyes soon adjusted and she noticed that she was on a futon at someone's place and…

She sat up abruptly, "My bag!"

Before she could get into a spasm of panic, though, the brunette who had been watching over her for who knew how long, produced it from someplace and held it out, "The child was merely playing around, it seems. Are you alright now?"

The in-training angel blinked at this. There was concern in the other's dark eyes but at the same time, Misha couldn't help but feel that _little_ bit uneasy. Why, she didn't know. Either way, she nodded, "I'm fine now. Better, in fact."

"That's great to know. When you suddenly collapsed… I'm Shia by the way. Nice to meet you."

"Ah… I'm Misha. Thank you for your kind hospitality," it seemed that her angelic healing powers had kicked in and she felt unusually hyper at the moment, in need of moving around. Bowing quickly and slinging her bag over her shoulder, Misha bowed, "Uhm, I'd rather not intrude any longer, so…"

"Of course," Shia smiled, "the entrance is this way…"

As she was led out and came to the fact that she was in an apartment block, Misha took a couple of steps away from the place and then turned, frowning lightly. "I wonder what that feeling was…"

000

"She didn't notice?"

Shia turned, shaking her head, "I don't think so, Klaus-san. She still seemed a little… woozy."

The blonde blinked, nodded, and then sat back, looking around the small apartment they would have to take residence in, "I see…"

000

… (scowls and wonder what's going on) Sadly, I have no idea myself. Initially it was going to be Kotarou and Kotaroh running into Misha first, but I ended up with this. I have no idea on whether I should think of this as good or bad. Ah well, onwards we go.

Ichigo no Aisu: Kotaroh! Kotaroh! I mean, we don't really get to see much of him, so yeah, it's nice to have him around XD Thanks for the review and hopefully this chapter wasn't too bad… o.O;

dreamless prophet: Thank you so much for the review XD (glomp tackles you) I'm glad that you like it and find the characterizations enjoyable and, I guess, realistic? I mean, I'm trying to keep them to the manga as close as possible. Oh yeah, thanks for the tips and all XD Blah, I have nothing more to say so thanks again :)

Uzumaki Angel: Thanks for the reviews and I'm glad you're enjoying the story XD Here's the next chapter and all :)


	7. Chapter Six

Disclaimers: I am not the owner of Pita-ten. I do not make a profit out of this work, nor do I plan to anytime in the future. Koge-Donbo is the almighty one, so why are you reading this?

Warnings: AU. General confusion (as I try to continue what I started all too long ago) Also, possible spelling and grammatical errors, as my brain is dead (as are my eyes). Sorry.

--- Within The Shadows ---

--- Chapter Six ---

There was little to note about the school day, Kotarou decided, as he shoved another book into his bag, cramming it with the rest. Naturally, his cousin had caused a stir of sorts with his coming - and the situation that had dragged him into it in the first place - but other than that, it had been another bland, boring day.

Or, at least, as bland and as boring as one could have when they were well aware of the 'powers that be'. Then there was the bloodshed they could see (and hear), completely conscious of what was going on, while everyone else was blissfully ignorant of it. In a way, the violet haired teen envied them, because they didn't have to carry the extra knowledge, but both boys had concluded that, eventually, humans would not be ignored in the equation between two races battling each other.

The world they lived on was the battle ground, after all.

"Kotarou?"

The child started in surprise, his heart pounding in his chest, until he realised that it was only Kotaroh trying to catch his attention. Throwing his cousin a smile (to reassure him, in case he thought something was wrong), he caught sight of the two blondes waiting for them just outside the classroom door.

"Ten-chan!" snapped the shorter of the two, and he knew (having been friends with them for so long) that they were arguing once more. The topics ranged from Koboshi's height to the grass that grew (oddly enough): it was something he was used to, and relished in the normality of.

"Hey, I'm just stating the facts, Uematsu," Takashi said, satisfied smile in place. Koboshi's eyes narrowed as she took a step forward and grabbed at his shirt, yanking him down to her eye level.

"And the facts state that if you keep going on like this, you're going to be hurt," she grated out in a matter-of-fact tone. If that was possible, in any case.

The blond seemed unaffected by the threat, and just laughed. Kotarou shook his head at them as he picked up his school bag, before he noticed the bemused look on his cousin's face.

"They do this all the time," he confirmed the unanswered question, and Kotaroh blinked.

"And they're both still alive and kicking today?" the surprised tone was all-too obvious to ignore, and Kotarou could only smile, completely amused.

It was very rare to catch the calm, level-headed boy surprised and flustered, after all; although all he had seen lately was a particularly brooding individual at home, so it was a pleasant change.

Better than a mask of constructed happiness that meant nothing.

"When you've practically grown up with them, it'd be scary to see them getting along for more than a couple of hours in each other's presence," Kotarou pointed out, in a matter-of-fact tone, as he headed in their direction; his cousin hesitating for only a moment before he hurried after him.

Despite the fact that Koboshi still had a rather firm hold of his shirt (and he had to bend to face her eye-to-eye), Takashi somehow managed to turn to give the two boys a smile and wink. "So, have any plans for this afternoon? Because _I _was thinking, that maybe we'd all just go and hang out at…"

"_I'm talking to you, Ten-chan!_" hissed Koboshi, sounding rather murderous. Kotaroh raised a concerned eyebrow at the blond boy's predicament, as the other boy held up both hands and shrugged.

"Sorry, but we have to do our best to catch up with our lessons, before we can even consider going out," he explained in an apologetic tone, "and we have to pick up Shino-chan from day-care, since my father works late, remember?"

Dark green eyes seemed to penetrate into his mind (or was it his soul?), "Oh, yeah. But you know, we could always take your younger cousin with us; I'm sure she'd love to spend some time outside, rather than having to watch two guys focused on their homework."

As soon as he finished speaking, Koboshi yanked at his neck scruff sharply, and Takashi was unable to muffle the yelp of pain that came with it. As she went into a rant about manners and his obvious lack thereof, Kotaroh tapped his cousin on the shoulder, in clear indication that they might as well leave, as neither of the pair looked ready to back down.

"Bye, Koboshi-chan, Ten-chan," Kotarou said simply, as he was pushed ahead and down the hallway. With her free hand, the girl gave them both a half-wave, while Takashi made a sort of semi-gargle to indicate that he had heard them (and acknowledged that neither one wanted to hang around to watch the outcome of the next round of their fight).

"Now, Uematsu, haven't you ever been told that you shouldn't act that way?" The pair could hear his voice, slightly choked but still clear, as it gradually got fainter with each step taken. "I mean, how do you ever plan to get marri—…"

The silence (after a particularly loud shriek of anger from Koboshi) was bliss, as they exited the school building; out to the empty grounds that seemed too quiet to be considered good.

They glanced all around them, taking in the surroundings; once they were reassured that there was no danger, the pair both relaxed (and practically _sagged_ with relief) and continued on their way out.

"Are you sure Ayanokoji-san will be alright? She seemed quite angry." Kotaroh's level tone sliced through the quiet that had threatened to overwhelm just moments before, and received a shrug in return.

"Ten-chan's done worse to get her angry, and he isn't dead yet, is he?" He tried not to think of the possibility of his friends killing each other just because they couldn't admit that there was _something_ there (he had no idea as to what, but it didn't matter at the moment).

Kotaroh nodded, somewhat distracted, as they picked Shino up from the day-care centre, and only stopped briefly at the convenience store before they headed home. Despite their off-hand nature and casual conversation, closer observation would have revealed the pair of boys alert, as if ready for an unknown ambush no one even knew of.

They entered the empty apartment building, and knew at once that Kotarou's father had been held back at work, without having to recall the left message on the answering machine. While Kotaroh played a stepping game with his younger sister to her room so that she could change, the other boy stopped by the machine and tapped the 'replay' button, before he headed towards the kitchen. His father's voice followed after him, fuzzy with static.

"I'm really sorry I couldn't make it," his voice was almost breathless, as if he had run to the phone to call as quick as he could, before he was summoned elsewhere, "But we need all the help we can get right now. I'm hoping to be home at eight by the _latest,_ so don't worry."

As Kotarou placed the bags on the counter, they sagged out with the groceries, as he stopped at the pause; the machine had yet to beep, which indicated the end of the message.

Then there was a sigh.

"You've done so much; you and Kotaroh, and I wish I didn't have to do this, especially with everything that's going on. I know we're all still mourning, and… if only I was there in case you ever needed help…"

Kotaroh entered and noted the look on his cousin's face, as he caught the last section of the message.

"More than anything, I don't want you kids to get caught up in an adult's world, when you're so young."

The machine beeped, and Kotarou grumbled under his breath, as he turned back to the plastic bags set out before him. Somewhat amused, Kotaroh took a place next to him, and then smiled at the raised eyebrow look he received.

"Your father's worried," he pointed out simply, well aware that he stated the absolute obvious.

"If he wasn't, I would have died of shock," Kotarou rolled his eyes, but did not push his cousin away when the other slung an arm around his shoulders, "He was always thinking about other people's well-being, even to the point of forgetting his own, and it was only because of mother that he never collapsed."

"She was a strong woman," murmured Kotaroh, almost to himself, as he observed the expression on the other's face, "She wouldn't want us to give up so soon."

He was shrugged off easily, as preparation for dinner began; "Either way, we'll just have to face it as we go. Would you help me with this already, or are we just going to wait for dinner to make itself?"

Kotaroh chuckled, although he knew that his cousin, in reality, was hurting inside. They all were, even if they didn't speak of it out loud. Even Shino, who had only been given parts of the truth, was aware that something horrible had happened, and had reoccurring nightmares that seemed to become more common.

It was as if they were being haunted by some other force, beyond their powers of perception. And, as horrible as it was, they were powerless against it.

With such thoughts in mind, the other boy took a seat and watched as Kotarou pattered around the small kitchen space, stowing boxed items away and pulling out a various number of others to replace them.

Somewhere in the background, the pair registered the television being switched on – Shino had obviously gotten bored with the lack of life, and chose to take care of it herself – as they remained caught in their personal thoughts and feelings. Not to mention the question of what the future had in store for them.

As it was already, things were not shaping up for the good, and they could very much end up dead soon.

"You know," Kotaroh suddenly ventured (perhaps to block out the childish-theme song that was being played out on the television), "that frown on your face is going to stick if you keep it up."

"I wasn't frowning." Well, he _was_, but that wasn't the point. Kotarou may have said more, but there was an unearthly crash that shook them all out of their train of thought. While he left his cousin to care for his sister, the other teen hurried out to try and find the source of the noise.

He froze as soon as he reached the front door; if it was something dangerous, it would be stupid to just open the door. But he didn't feel any sort of ill intent, and Kotaroh hadn't shouted a warning, so… it was alright, wasn't it? While he hesitated with his mind, a girlish voice, muffled, caught him off-guard.

"Owie… that wasn't good, su—…"

Whoever it was… they couldn't be dangerous, right? Or was he just falling into some sort of well-constructed trap?

Kotarou forced himself to breathe evenly, as he shifted through his options: he could pretend they hadn't heard the commotion, open the door and confront whoever it was, or… die? No, not that. He might have continued to go around in circles with himself, if Kotaroh hadn't decided to check up on him.

"Are you going to stand there all day, arguing with yourself?" He asked good-naturedly.

Damn, it was far too amused with how things were proceeding (a least that meant there was less of a chance that danger was going to gouge his eyes out). "It's better to be safe than sorry, right?"

A smile of understanding (on more than one level) decided for Kotarou, as he pushed the door open a fraction; ready to slam it shut at the flitter of danger. For a moment, the tension rose.

Nothing.

Save a pink-haired girl who clutched at her ankle and cringed in pain. Before he could move himself, his cousin had pushed past him to swing the door open and approach the girl.

"Are you alright, miss?"

The girl's head snapped up at his question, tears clinging to her eyes; "My ankle really, really, really hurts! And I don't even know how I managed it, su…"

She fell silent, as Kotaroh turned to tell the other boy present to get ice – save for the fact that he was already gone. A minute or two later and Kotarou had returned, although his blank expression had been replaced with a distrustful scowl. He took the ice-pack offered with a smile of thanks, before he helped apply it to the girl's wound.

"You should be alright; it doesn't look too bad, once the swelling stops," Kotaroh said in his forever patient and soothing voice, "I suppose you'll need help to get back to your place, then?"

He didn't need to mention that neither one of them had ever seen her before, nor where she might have come from. Pink-hair beamed at the kind boy, while Kotarou was left to continue scowling in the shadows.

"Thank you so much for your kindness! But it's alright, I live right over there; just moved in, actually!" She waved at the apartment next to theirs. "By the way, what's your name?"

"Kotaroh… Higuchi," he turned, to introduce his cousin, but realised that the other had already left – probably to care for Shino. But the girl (although she was probably older than them) didn't seem to notice, as she continued to smile at him.

_Wait… what was that strange feeling deep within him?_ He pushed the thoughts away.

"Kotaroh-kun, then! Nice to meet you," she snatched his hand and shook it with much enthusiasm, "I'm Misha! I hope we'll be good neighbours!"

---

-laughs hysterically- It has been the _longest_ time since I wrote this (January of 2006?) so… uh, well. First I'll have to re-read the manga again, be all over-obsessed once more, and then see what I can salvage from the first few chapters for the future. I really should finish this one day, huh? Save for the fact… I can't really remember where this was going. Ah well, if I ever make another chapter, it'll prove my determination to complete _something_ left around for all too long.

By the way, I wouldn't normally put this here, but I wouldn't mind getting reviews – mostly to reassure me that people are still reading this, horrific as it is (and its… old-ness). Anything constructive you want to tell me is also appreciated, and… you know, usual stuff. I'll probably _need_ the kick in the shins to keep going XD

Makami: I fail in life – not writing something for ages can do that to a person, huh? Hopefully I managed to salvage _something_ with this chapter, but who knows when the next chapter will be ;;

dreamless prophet: I discontinued. You have every right to spork me for it (that's what happens with a smaller fandom) But I'll be doing my best to try and finish this story, and I've always appreciated your help ♥ (and hopefully will be able to continue to appreciate this as I try to continue)

Alpha Draconis1: While I admit that I can't remember my exact mindset when I began this, I'm positive that I'll never reach a stage of darkened angst that would indicate me wallowing in my own self-pity XD I'm glad you liked reading it and thanks for the review.

Samantha-Girl Scout: You know… your review might have been what I needed to remember that I had a fic to finish. Sorry it took forever, but hopefully you can stay with me as I try to bring back what I started :)


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